House of Many Ways

Charmain Baker agrees to look after her great-uncle William's cottage while he recovers from illness — a simple enough task, until it becomes clear that the Royal Wizard Norland's house operates on principles that have nothing to do with ordinary geometry. One door leads to the mountains, the past, or the Royal Mansion depending on mood and need, and Charmain finds herself responsible for a magical dog, a muddled apprentice, and a search for the legendary Elfgift that has drawn Howl and Sophie themselves into the adventure.

Jenny Sterlin's narration captures the novel's warm comic register precisely — this is Howl's Moving Castle at its most domestic and silly, and Sterlin's voice has the right quality of affectionate amusement. Her characterizations of Charmain's perpetual state of baffled competence and the various magical household denizens are consistent and delightful. At just under eight hours, House of Many Ways is a light-footed finish to Diana Wynne Jones's beloved trilogy.